


A Sea of Scarlet and Ashen Gray

by escalatorsquash999



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-03-31 19:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3990859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escalatorsquash999/pseuds/escalatorsquash999
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Picks up from the end of season 10. Turns out, the world after the Darkness is not so different from the End!Verse Dean glimpsed five years ago. I suck at summaries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stormy Skies

Dean gaped at the giant, looming cloud of ash, whirling towards the Impala. It was at that moment when he remembered how Cas was still unaware of the great changes that had taken place. _Shit_ , he thought, _how could I be so stupid? I didn’t call him_. He mentally kicked himself. Now, there was no escape. No demon’s knife, angel blade, or First Blade could defeat this supernatural force. He was going to die at the hands of a dust storm. And he hadn’t even said goodbye to his best goddamn friend. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. A text would quickly tell Cas. But tell him what? That he was back? That he was sorry? That he felt--

No. He couldn’t admit it to himself, let alone Cas. About thirty seconds until the cloud would smash into his car. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Sam. Neither of them said anything, but the tears in Sam’s eyes were weighed with the gravity of the colossal error they made. Dean smiled weakly, and grabbed Sam’s hand, squeezing it tight. It was just like when they were kids, Dean protecting Sam from nightmares, from bullies, from John. This time, there was no sense of protection. Only a false comfort, shielding the both of them from reality. Fifteen seconds. Sam tried to say something, but the words didn’t come out. Ten seconds. The lights of the restaurant flickered wildly. Dean watched them, willing himself to look away from the ever-nearing storm. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

The force of the impact was not like an ocean wave, crashing into obstacles in its path. It was not like high speed wind, whistling around the car. In actuality, it was like being hit by a train. Later, Dean would relate it to being hit by a semi like they were nearly ten years ago, except multiplying the force by five and adding black smoke. The impact was shocking. Dean was worried that they’d turn over, but the Impala remained steady. It was terrifying, though, to only see swirling blackness around them. It was like sitting in the car during a car wash, with darkness raining around them, swirling like a bottomless ocean. Dean shut his eyes, but it made no difference. Whether his eyes were opened or closed, they saw no difference. Dean and Sam sat like that for seconds. Minutes. Maybe even hours. Time was meaningless in the absence of the sun, but the Winchester brothers spent all of it in fear.


	2. Rowena's Pet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers find Cas, but they find out some very bad news in the process.

Dean felt the pressure lessening around the Impala. It was no longer shaking and clinging to the earth. Light was slowly filtering in, adding definition to the swirls of smoke travelling elsewhere. Dean and Sam looked at each other, tense and confused. Was it over? The silent question was answered by the remnants of the cloud clearing around the Impala. The scene that unfolded in front of them was far more terrifying than complete darkness. The fields were blackened and ashy, and the restaurant looked more like a weathered shack. Dean looked at Sam.

 

“We need to get back to Cas right now.” Dean said, his voice wavering. Sam nodded curtly and said “We messed up.” They didn’t say anything as they sped along the highway. They were too engrossed with the state of their surroundings-- trees torn out of their roots, glass littering the ground, despair and destruction. It was as if a war had raged on in Kansas for years. When they finally reached the old warehouse and stepped out of the car, Dean felt a wave of anger followed by immediate exhaustion. So he had reached the headquarters of his betrayal. And? And nothing. The mistakes were made. At this point, he just had to make sure his loved ones were safe. Sam burst through the door, Dean following him closely.

“Cas?” Dean called out.

“Rowena, what the hell happened?” Sam’s voice rang out. As soon as they both had a clear view of the room, their situation went from bad to worse. Crowley was on the ground in a pool of inky black blood. Cas was in the corner, his back facing them. He didn’t move when he heard them. He remained hunched, and when Dean called “Cas?” one more time, he could have sworn he heard growling. As for Rowena, she was nowhere to be found. Her chains were broken and the codex and book were gone.

“Cas, why is Crowley in a pool of blood? Is he…?” Sam cautiously called out. More growling. Cas was visibly vibrating now. Slowly, he turned to face them. Dried blood  was splattered all over his face, and his eyes were red.

“Get. Out.” he spit out with great difficulty. “Attack dog spell. Rowena. You need to go.” he shuddered and mechanically took a step towards them. It was obvious that he was straining every muscle against the curse. Dean stood, frozen. Sam, on the other hand, stepped forward, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Cas, you can fight it.” he said, a sliver of concern in his voice. Cas snapped. He lunged towards Sam. Sam narrowly escaped and Dean grabbed Cas from the behind. Dean’s arms pinned Cas’s arms to his side, and Sam knocked him out using a rock from the rubble. Minutes later, Cas was slumped in a chair, chains covering most of his torso and snaking around his legs.

 

“We gotta cure him soon. Do you know any witchy spells from Rowena?” Dean asked Sam urgently.

“Uh, no. No, no, no.” Sam responded, pacing the room and rubbing his forehead in frustration. “Wait! There’s an undo spell. It works for temporary spells. I learned that one.” Sam pulled a small book from his jacket pocket. Dean stared at the book, bewildered, but said “What do you need?”

“The ingredients are… blood from a regretful soul.”

“And?”

“That’s it.”

“Okay, then, you get your supplies and I’ll get your ingredients.” Dean said. As Sam produced a bowl from a tattered cabinet, Dean drew his knife and made a cut on his arm, right over where the Mark used to be. Sam made a small fire and put the bowl directly on top of it. The flames licked the sides of the bowl, occasionally causing sparks to fly. Dean crouched over the bowl and bled into the bowl.

“Is this enough?” he asked, turning to Sam, who was towering overhead with a look of worry on his face.

“Spells require huge sacrifices, Dean. You need to fill that entire bowl up. But you don’t have to do this, you know. We can use, uh, Crowley’s--”

“No, I’m going to do it. I have to. Especially after everything Cas has done for me. For us.” Cas was starting to stir. Dean looked at him, fear shining in his eyes. He looked at his arm, took a deep breath, and made the cut deeper.

“Ah, there they are. The Winchesters. Trying to save me after they're some using me.” Cas laughed. “I’m dying. Bye-bye Castiel! Maybe once I die, I’ll finally get a break.”

“Cas, that’s not you talking. Rowena messed with your head.” Sam said. Dean stood up abruptly and revealed a full bowl of crimson. Sam swooped in on it, stirring it and sprinkling some sort of dust on it. He mumbled Latin as Dean fully faced Cas.

“We’re gonna cure you. We’re bringing you back.” he said, not bothering to hide his desperation. Cas smirked. “Rowena’s too strong. Good luck with that.” Sam filled a syringe with the potion and plunged it into Cas’s wrist, just as he was saying, “Just wait until I get out of these chains”. Dean waited with bated breath. Cas slumped over for a second, then suddenly sat upright. He coughed, and a bit of blood came out of his nose.

“Are you-- are you back?” Dean asked. Cas responded by snarling and foaming at the mouth.


	3. The Silver Card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Sam desperately search for a way to cure Cas, before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I renamed this fic because "Bloodlust" is such a generic name so yeah, have fun reading I hope.

“It didn’t work!” Dean exclaimed, sounding panicked. “Sammy, why didn’t it work?”

  
“I don’t know,” Sam said, looking puzzled, “maybe Rowena’s spell is considered permanent?” Cas didn’t say anything. He only glared at them threateningly, occasionally muttering incomprehensible words of spite.

  
Dean started pacing, occasionally looking at Cas with worry. “So Rowena has the Book and the codex. Is there anything useful that she doesn’t have?”

  
Sam thought for a second, then jumped up. “We have a few of Charlie’s notes!” So they desperately shuffled through the considerable stack of Charlie’s notes that Sam had hidden. As they searched, Cas was growing worse. He seemed to be alternating between his cursed self and rage-filled silence. Dean didn’t know which was worse.

  
“Just kill me. You’ll forget about me like you do the rest.” Cas spit out viciously.

  
“Were the other attack dog victims able to speak when they were cursed?” Dean asked Sam quietly. Sam looked up at him, considered the question, and shook his head with the smallest of no’s.  
“But this is different, Dean. Cas is an angel, it probably affects him differently. He’s more powerful than humans, remember.” Sam offered. Dean nodded, not meeting Sam’s gaze. He continued searching. After a few more minutes of scanning through notes, Dean found something.

  
“Sam. This spell can summon witches and trap them.” Sam rushed over and looked over Charlie’s looped scribbles.

  
“Great, more blood. At least it’s another easy spell.” Sam said. Dean rolled up his sleeve in preparation to offer more blood. “No, Dean, you’re going to pass out if you drain yourself more.” Sam looked at Crowley’s lifeless form.

  
“This feels wrong.” Dean said.

  
“Before you two were the Demonic Dream Team, Crowley was evil. I don’t mind.” Sam said as he knelt beside Crowley and dipped his hand into the ink. He dragged his fingers along the ground, and each time he re-dipped his hand felt like each innocent death he was avenging. The sigils were complete. At first, nothing happened. Then, the scent of cinnamon filled the room and a flash of scarlet light appeared over the sigil. A young woman with a dark complexion and long, black, curly hair stepped out of the smoke.

  
“You called?” she said.

  
“We want to know if you can reverse an attack dog spell.” Sam said.

  
“Who cast it?” she asked, looking almost bored at the request.

  
“Rowena.” Dean spit out, as if mentioning her name tasted like poison on his tongue. The witch raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  
“Rowena?” she asked. “It’s your lucky day, Winchesters. I’m not exactly a fan of Rowena. What will you offer me in return?”

  
“Whatever it takes.” Dean said, before Sam could say anything.

  
“Ah yes, Dean and Castiel, the tragic love story of the century.” she smirked, looking from Dean to the currently silent Cas. Dean’s mouth opened a little as a flush was creeping up his neck. “Don’t look so surprised, Righteous Man. The whole world knows the story of you two. I’d advise you to be cautious. We all know who your weakness is, and I fear that will be used against you again. Anyways, where was I? Oh, the price. I’d like something of Rowena’s. Something valuable. Do we have a deal?”

  
“Yes. We can do that.” Sam said.

  
“Excellent. I’ll give you two weeks before I come back to meet you here. If you fail to uphold your end, I can make your angel worse than he is now. Glad to do business with you.” She reached into a hidden fold of her velvet dress, drew out a silver business card, and handed it to Sam. “The name’s Adele. Give me a call next time.” she turned to Cas. “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, et secta diabolica, Ergo draco maledicte et sectio, Ergo draco maledicte et legio secta diabolica Ut Ecclésiam tuam secúra tibi fácias servire libertáte, te rogámus, audi nos!” she exclaimed.

  
“All it took was the demon exorcism spell?!” Sam asked angrily.

  
“Oh, sweetheart. Attack dogs, possessed hellhounds, it’s all the same. You don’t quite live up to your reputation in person, do you?” she laughed.

  
Sam started to run at her, but she quickly yelled “See you in two weeks!” and vanished.

Sam and Dean stood in stunned silence for a moment. Then, a weak cough from Cas brought them back.

  
“Cas! Cas, are you alright?” Dean rushed to Cas, pressing his palms against Cas’s cheeks.

  
“Dean. I’m fine.” Cas said.”Although I wouldn’t mind some rare steak.” he weakly joked. Sam let out a laugh, but Dean looked like he was either about to cry or break something. Maybe both.

  
“Never--” he started, but Cas joined him. “-- do that again.” “I know.” Cas added. “But it wasn’t as if I walked myself into this situation.” he said, as Dean and Sam worked to remove the chains.

  
“I screwed up majorly. If I hadn’t agreed to getting the mark...” Dean began. Sam interrupted, saying, “But I used the book. I should have thrown it into the fire.” Cas stood up from the chair, and said, “I cast the curse. I have my share of responsibility, too.” Dean and Sam looked at him reproachfully. The weight of the prices they had paid was a heavy one. Charlie. The entire goddamned world. They were all sinking in an ocean of regret.

  
“This is bullshit.” Cas said, startling the other two. Cas wasn’t usually one to curse, and the words sounded even more vulgar when he did. “We all messed up. We all are responsible for this. So let’s stop playing the stupid self-blame game and own up to it. Let’s fix this.” It was at this moment that it occurred to Dean and Sam that Cas still didn’t know about Death and the Darkness. They avoided making eye contact with him.

  
“Well?” Cas asked, frustration seeping into his usually placid tone.

  
Dean opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. “I accidentally killed Death.”

  
“You WHAT?!”


	4. Lord of the Rings and Drunken Confessions

Cas was pacing. After his initial anger, he softened into a state of aggressive panic. It turns out, nobody had ever killed Death before, so Cas had no idea of the consequences. Dean and Sam still hadn’t said anything about the Darkness yet.

“Cas.” Dean said. Cas kept pacing. “Cas. There’s another thing.” He stopped pacing, and he slowly turned to Dean, exasperation radiating from his tired face.

“Dean, this better be good news.”

“The spell... the spell Rowena cast released the Darkness. It’s heading south as we speak.” Dean closed his eyes, unwilling to see Cas’s reaction. He expected Cas to look furious. He was an angel, he must know what that means for all of them. But wait-- if the Darkness was before God’s time, then surely Cas had no idea what that meant. Dean opened his eyes, shocked to see Cas’s reaction. All of the blood seemed to have drained from his face. His eyes were wide, and he gaped at Dean.

“Wait, you know what the Darkness is?” Dean asked.

“Are you, or are you not talking about the Darkness that covered this land before my father banished it?” Cas asked quietly, each word hitting Dean with the impact of a meteor.

“We are, Cas.” Sam said, after a deep breath. At these words, Cas sat down, still looking pale. He spoke after a long, drawn out silence.

“The Darkness was a legend. A myth that was only whispered between angels. Lucifer told me about it, I think. He said it was worse than the hell that our father had created. He said that there were no morals, no restrictions. Even hell had it’s limits. But in the Darkness? Only chaos. It’s like your typical apocalypse, but with some strange, ancient creatures that nobody knows about. If the Darkness was released, we are certainly doomed to fail.” Cas said, his voice almost at a defeated whisper.

“It was controlled before, though. It can be controlled again.” Sam said dully, with no trace of hope in his voice. Cas looked at him dubiously.

“Maybe you’ve failed to notice, but my father isn’t exactly-- what is it? Open for business. I’ve been searching for years, but he’s nowhere to be found. He could be dead, for all anyone knows.”

“Well, we don’t know, Cas. But we gotta try, right?” Dean asked. Cas glared at him, and for a second, Dean didn’t just see Cas, he saw a soldier with millennia of turmoil and worry etched into his face. Cas sighed. “We must. But where can we even begin?”

“Home.” Sam answered.

“Wait--” Dean said, “what about Crowley? We can’t just leave him here.” He reached down and touched Crowley’s hand. When his fingers made contact with Crowley’s cold skin, a jolt of energy went into Crowley’s body. Suddenly, he sat up, looking as shocked as Dean did.

“What the hell just happened?” Dean looked up at Sam and Cas. He turned to Crowley. “What--”

“I was dead.” Crowley said, stunned, staring at the wall in front of him and not quite believing it was real. “Cassie over there jumped at me and tore me apart.” He stared up at Dean in disbelief. “Not that I’m ungrateful or anything, but what in the bloody hell did you do?”

“Death is dead.” everyone turned to look at Cas, who continued. “Death has been destroyed. That means… that means nobody can really die.”

“Why did it take so long for me to come back, then?” Crowley huffed. Cas ignored him, and looked at Dean.

“I’m guessing some of Death’s power latched onto you, Dean. Crowley isn’t human. It requires more power to restore him. You possess that power.”

“Hold on, what about people who aren’t in close proximity to Dean?” Sam asked.

“Death’s power is everywhere now. I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody could fully, permanently die.” Cas said. There was a heavy silence.

“Guess I’m jumping from one curse to the next, eh?” Dean said to nobody in particular.

“That’s not funny.” Sam said quietly.

“I’m not laughing.” Silence again. Crowley looked from one to the next, steadily growing angrier.

“You know, I hate to agree with my mother. I really do. But she was right-- you Winchesters cost me more than you’re worth. So, thank you for killing me and then bringing me back to life,” he snarled, “but I’ve got Hell to look after. I don’t need more of your drama.” He vanished.

Sam exhaled loudly. “Let’s go home.”

\---------  
As he was steering the Impala, Dean was jumping from one radio station to the next. Most of the stations were static, but he finally found an intelligible signal.

“-- as far south as Australia. This unnatural phenomenon, whatever it is, has torn the world apart. Spontaneous fires, hurricanes, tsunamis. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like it. NASA has satellite data that reports unnatural weather conditions rapidly spreading over the world. Is this the apocalypse?” the reporter’s voice was drowned out by static. Dean pressed buttons desperately, angrily. Nothing.

“Once it’s done with the South, I’m guessing it’ll go across the other side and come down from the North.” Sam said, after considering the report.

“It’ll hit us last.” Dean replied. The bunker was north of the start of the curse-- it was odd to see a normal Kansas after knowing what the rest of it looked like. Sam pulled out a notepad and a pen from the glove compartment. He wrote down some calculations, and after a few minutes, he put down the pen and blew air out of his cheeks.

“What?” Dean asked.

“Based on how fast the Darkness is spreading right now, it’ll make a full revolution and hit us in about a day.”

“I can feel it.” Cas said in response. Dean looked at him from the overhead mirror. Cas was staring outside, looking a million miles away. “I can feel the destruction echoing throughout me.”

“You can feel it?” Sam turned to look at him. “How? Your grace…?”

“It’s odd. I can feel my grace growing stronger. I’m about halfway healed.” Cas looked at his hands. “It may be time for me to visit heaven.”

 

“But what if they kill you? They know we broke in.” Sam worried. Dean raised his eyebrows at this new piece of information.

“How much do I not know about?” Dean said.

“A bit. But that’s a story for another day.” Sam rushed.

“If we live to see it.” Dean retorted.

“Stop acting childish, both of you. You missed the turn for the bunker, Dean.” Cas said.

When they were all back in the bunker, they were greeted by a sobering mess. Library books were still strewn everywhere. Dean looked at Cas guiltily.

“Cas, I’m so sorry for--”

“I know.” Cas tore his eyes from the angel blade still piercing the book to meet Dean’s eyes. “You weren’t yourself, but you are now.”

“I should have tried to control it.” Dean ran a hand through his hair as if he was trying to push the memories away.

“Dean. I’m okay now.” Cas smiled at him. Sam watched this exchange, suddenly remembering Adele’s words. Moments later, they all settled on the plushy chairs, which offered some small comfort. Dean got up to pluck three beers from the fridge.

“It’s almost the friggin’ apocalypse,” he said, handing a bottle to Sam and another to Cas, “might as well enjoy ourselves before it starts.” They all clinked the beers together, not saying anything. Cheers wasn’t quite the right word.

\---------

They had all decided to live normally until the Darkness hit them. Maybe it was lack of motivation-- their lives were always jumping between mysteries, fighting monster after monster. They were bound to get tired at some point. They figured that, hey, they had nothing to lose. So, Dean cooked dinner and they marathoned the Lord of The Rings (“Cas, just because MetaDouche implanted all the references into your head, doesn’t mean you can’t watch the actual movie”) and Dean and Cas ended up braiding Sam’s hair, and they all drunkenly and halfheartedly sang along to the classic rock songs on Dean’s pink iPod. At about 1:30, Sam said goodnight and made his way to his bedroom, stumbling like a drunken giraffe. Dean and Cas sat on the loveseat, Cas’s legs were stretched out, his ankles crossed over Dean’s thighs. They sat like that for a while, sometimes talking, sometimes in comfortable silence. During one of these silences, Dean said, “I think it’s time to go to bed now.”

“I’ll just wait here, then. I don’t need sleep. Do you have any movie recommendations?”

“It might be our last night living in peace, Cas. Might as well close your eyes for a bit.”

“Dean, are you giving me the ‘last night on Earth’ speech?” Cas smiled. “I should start a tally.”

Dean laughed, and he really laughed. The skin around his eyes crinkled as he threw his head back, shaking silently. It was an odd combination of hysteria and joy, and Cas watched Dean laugh, thinking about how long it had been since he saw him so carefree. Dean reached for another bottle and drained it rapidly.

“Yeah okay. Let’s go to bed.” Cas said. Dean stopped and looked at him as if he was slightly dazed.

“I’m really drunk. But holy shit, you’re beautiful, and I think that even when I’m sober.” Dean said earnestly, leaving Cas speechless. Cas got up, gave Dean his hand, and pulled him up. As they walked towards Dean’s room, Dean kept swaying and bumping into Cas.

“Try to walk straight.” Cas said, guiding Dean through the hallway.

“I can’t even act straight.” Dean said with a grin.

Cas pushed the door to Dean’s bedroom open. He steered Dean to one side of the bed, and walked over to the other side. He paused, and looked at Dean, whose eyes were already closed. He climbed in beside him and turned off the lamp on the nightstand, allowing the full radiance of the moonbeams to stream through the window. Cas was at peace. That would change soon, but for now, he was content to try and count Dean’s freckles in the blue light.

“Good night, Dean.” Cas whispered. Dean’s eyes opened slowly. He looked at Cas, and even in the dimness, he could imagine the color of Cas’s eyes without any difficulty.

“Will you stay?” he asked, with the innocence of a child.

“Always.” Cas said. He felt himself drift off, as he sunk into a deep sleep.


	5. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a familiar face who bears bad news. Trying to speed through this chapter so we can begin End!Verse >:)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and responding! I'm still a little new to the whole fanfic scene, but you've all made me feel so welcome :) Thanks for bearing with my juvenile fanfic that I never really expected to last for so long. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I know this is not very long, but fear not, Chapter 6 is developing!

“Dean.”

“Mmm.”

“Wake up, Dean. I can smell Sam cooking breakfast.” Cas mumbled, not moving at all. Dean showed no intention to move, either. He was curled next to Cas, who was sitting up and reading one of Dean’s books from the nightstand.

“Cat’s Cradle. It’s commenting on religion, isn’t it?” Cas asked, half-squinting like he usually did when he was calculating something. Dean sat up, too. 

“Yeah. That book’s one of my favorites. Sometimes I wonder how old Vonnegut would react if he met you.” Dean said, smiling. “The angel Castiel.” Then, his smile faltered. “Fallen angel of the Lord.” 

Cas folded up the corner on one of the existing folds of the worn book and closed it to look at Dean. “By my choice. You certainly influenced my choice, though.” 

“That’s what I do, isn’t it? Influence people. That just gets them killed. Charlie. Kevin. So many others.” Dean closed his eyes and leaned his head against the headboard. He couldn’t look at Cas, into his blue eyes that were brightened by his grace. 

“Dean, people have died, that may be true. But they all knew what they were getting into. I’ve died numerous times, but I’ve always, _always_ made my way back to you and Sam.”

 Dean opened his eyes to meet Cas’s gaze. Then, he looked down and said, “But what about yesterday? When you said we’d forget--” Dean couldn’t finish.

 “Dean, you of all people should know what it’s like to have words come out of your mouth that you don’t mean.” Cas gently said, recalling Dean’s demonic state. Dean didn’t look entirely convinced though. He looked at Cas for a few moments, then said, “I think breakfast’s almost done.”

 When they both got to the kitchen, Sam looked at the two of them knowingly before saying, “Slept okay?”

 “Like a drunk baby.” Dean said.

 “Literally.” Cas joked, earning him a forceful shoulder thump from Dean. “What? It’s true.”

 Sam silently marveled at how the imminent end of the world finally brought these two idiots together. He smiled and shook his head, turning to the sizzling bacon in front of him.

 “Smells good, Sammy.” Dean stretched and sat at Sam’s open laptop. “What’s this? ‘Bizarre weather conditions spread to Northern US States’?” Dean read the blaring headline from the online newspaper. He looked up at Sam. “How much longer?” Sam didn’t turn around. Dean almost repeated the question when Sam finally answered. “Few hours.” The mood rapidly changed.

 “What are we going to do?” Dean asked.

 “Well, what can we do? God knows how to fight this.” Sam answered, running his fingers through his hair.

 “What if I called Hannah?” Cas said. “I can’t risk going up to heaven but I know that Hannah will be fair.”

 “Can’t hurt.” Sam said, half frowning.

 “I’ve always wanted to meet this Hannah.” Dean grumbled. Cas looked at him curiously, then, thinking better, clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

 “Hannah, this is Castiel. Please, I need to talk to you. Just talk.” Cas opened his eyes.

 “Castiel.” a much deeper voice than Dean expected came from the right. They all turned to face Hannah, smiling kindly at Castiel. She looked at Sam and Dean and said “Hello, again.” with a gentle nod. Castiel walked to her, giving her an awkward hug. Sam couldn’t help but glance at Dean, who had a strange look on his face.

 “I know we didn’t part on the best of circumstances, but I feel I must warn you. There is a darkness that is plaguing the Earth.” Cas said.

 “Yes, we’re aware. It’s causing problems in heaven. Angels going rogue. Our father has been absent for long enough, and this seems to have pushed some to their limits.” Hannah said, sighing deeply.

 Cas’s brow furrowed. “It’s affecting heaven?”

 “Not the same as here, but yes.”

 “So if we were to ask you for help…” Cas trailed off.

 “We don’t know any better than you do.” Hannah paused, looking distant. She suddenly looked at Cas, a new desperation in her language. “I’m sorry Castiel, I must go. Something has happened in Heaven.” She immediately vanished before Cas could say goodbye.

 “That can’t be good.” Sam said. Cas nodded solemnly.

 “So that’s Hannah.” Dean said.

 “Yes. She’s like a sister to me.” Cas looked annoyed, but Dean seemed to be less grumpy after hearing that.

 After the bacon was done cooking, they all ate breakfast in a tensed silence. There was an air of unpreparedness-- but there was no way, really, to prepare for the arrival of the Darkness. They could only attempt to find meager research on the subject. So after breakfast, they pored over volumes of ancient records and encyclopedias and old, yellowing books. But they found nothing. Until--

“Wait. This book mentions the Darkness. Indirectly, at least.” Sam’s voice stopped the page turning from Dean and Cas’s corners of the library. Sam continued. “It’s in Latin.” He began translating. “Before there was Light, there was Darkness. And this Darkness ruled a barren land for an eternity before... before a burst of light came from the unknown and purified the universe.”  

 “Purified. In what sense?” Dean asked.

 “The burst of light is God. And God’s preferred method of purification is… well… remember Noah’s ark?” Cas grimaced. “Imagine that, only everything is torn down and rebuilt. I imagine that’s what it may mean.”

 Silence. Then,

 “I need a beer.” Dean stood up. He started heading towards the kitchen, but a quick glance out of the window made him stop. Sam and Cas stood up, and looked out the window, too.

From no more than ten miles away, the Darkness was approaching. And it was approaching rapidly.


	6. Into Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean, Sam, and Cas finally begin to see the effects of the Darkness-- and it's worse than they could have ever imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that this chapter gets slightly gory. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being extremely gory, I'd say this is a 2??  
> Anyways, I'm excited to be in this part of the story. Get ready to see a whole lot of drama and unhappy family reunions. ;) (in the future chapters)

This time, Dean watched the Darkness approach. He wanted to spin his last memories of his home into a pellet and protect it. He needed a shred of authenticity before the one place he had truly called his own was destroyed. So he moved closer to the window, leaning on the windowsill. He felt movement in the air behind him. Sam stood to his right, watching the storm. Cas stood, too, and moved to Dean’s left. The three of them stood like that, watching the unfurling explosion of darkness spiraling at them.

On occasion, Kansas had tornados. Sam and Dean were never afraid of tornados-- if their phones ever got the alert of an oncoming tornado, they’d grab a few cold ones, snacks, and magazines (TIME for Sam, and The National Geographic for Dean), settling in the underground dungeon for shelter as the tornado passed. When the storm passed, they’d go back to the main floor of the bunker, examine the damage, and continue with their lives.

This instance was different. They were facing this unknown, vast storm with nothing useful but a page in an old dusty book in their arsenal. Oh, and Death’s scythe, which Dean had decided to stow in the trunk of the Impala, just in case. The Winchester’s second encounter with the Darkness was oddly uneventful. The bunker was far sturdier than the Impala, and Dean and Sam were less afraid to watch the swirls outside their window this time around. Cas, who hadn’t yet encountered the Darkness, was engrossed, never looking away from his spot at the window. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass and peered outside, squinting, desperate to identify something in the black nebula. All three of them were overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness that caused them to stand, transfixed. Soon, the black faded to an ashen gray, then a pale gray. The last remnants of the cloud chased after the storm as it grew more distant.

“Well.” Dean said.

“I tried to see if I recognized anything. I couldn’t see any humanoid figures. No demons, either. The energy was ancient. It predates God, after all.” Cas said, half thinking, half informing.

“So what happens now? What does the Darkness do, and what does it want?” Sam asked no one in particular. Cas shook his head, looking stumped.

“Road trip, anyone?” said Dean.

The Impala already had an impressive array of weapons, so they armed themselves with knowledge. The three of them grabbed a few of the oldest looking books with promising titles, along with sigil tools and extra supplies.They weren’t expecting a long trip-- just a drive around to see what the situation was. Dean drove while Sam and Cas pored over the books, occasionally complaining at the bumpy road.

“The Darkness doesn’t seem to like nicely paved roads.” Dean grumbled.

“Nor does it seem to like vegetation.” Cas said, looking at the blackened fields of withered crops. They kept driving. The towns they passed were like ghost towns. Weak buildings were torn apart, larger buildings were weathered and worn. They hadn’t seen anyone else so far, until--

“Dean, stop! I see someone.” Sam yelled. Dean slammed on the brake and parked the Impala. The figure was a few hundred feet away, sitting against the wall of a house. They all got out of the car and cautiously approached the figure.

“It’s a young girl!” Cas said when they got a clearer view. The girl was holding her abdomen, which was stained deep red, vivid against her bright yellow shirt. Dean rushed to her.

“Hey, what happened? Are you okay?” Dean asked urgently, kneeling next to her.

“Do I look like I’m okay?!” the girl shrieked. She removed her hands, revealing the messiest stab wound any of them have ever seen. Dean gagged when he saw what looked like an organ, ready to burst out of her jagged wound. He turned away and took a shuddering breath, allowing Sam to take over.

“Who did this to you?” Sam asked kindly, taking care not to look at the gaping hole in her abdomen. Cas moved closer, ready to try and use his grace. She looked down, shaking silently as if she were sobbing. Then, suddenly, she stopped. She slowly looked up at Sam, tears in her eyes. She smiled and whispered, “I did this.” Sam jolted backwards as she pulled a bloody kitchen knife from behind her, brandishing it. She had missed him by only a few seconds. She began to scream, filling the musty air with a bloodcurdling wail. Dean quickly whipped his handgun from his holster and put two bullets through her heart. She thudded to the ground.

Sam turned around and looked at Dean, still looking shocked. Cas helped him up.

Sam and Dean watched as Cas examined the girl, hovering a hand over her head, her heart, and, finally her stomach.

“18 year old human female. No sign of anything indicating she lived a troubled life. Healthy, both mentally and physically. I don’t understand,” he said as he stood up, “what drove her to hurt herself? Exposure to the Darkness?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Sam said solemnly.

Dean remained silent. He looked up at the white curtain waving out of the open window above the girl. He whipped the curtain towards him, sending the rod downwards, falling somewhere in the building with a loud metallic clatter. He draped the curtain over the girl as Sam and Cas watched.

“Let’s keep going.” he said.

 

And so they kept going. They sensed life in the town, and they felt eyes watching their every move. But they didn’t encounter anyone else, at least, not for another half hour. They found themselves in an open plaza, with a small, neat row of buildings. A bookstore, a cafe, and a patio with metal chairs and tables greeted them. There was no one in sight, except for an old man in the bookstore who Dean glimpsed. The man disappeared as soon as Dean blinked. Silently, he pointed at the bookstore, gesturing the others to follow him. He eased the door open as Sam and Cas slipped past him into the dusty store. Dean took a few steps forward, gazing at the shelves, getting momentarily distracted. Then,

“What are you all doing here?” a voice menacingly spat from behind them. Dean and Sam whirled around, facing the old man, who had a knife to Cas’s neck. Cas gulped, and tried to move his head away from the knife. In response, the man pressed the flat side of the knife deeper against his throat.

“Whoa, we just wanted to see what happened. Drop the knife, we’re not here to harm you.” Dean raised his hands in surrender.

“We just want to know what the hell’s going on.” Sam said nervously, raising his hands as well. The old man scrutinized them, and threw the knife backwards into the wall, where it stuck perfectly. He let go of Cas, who stumbled forward, nearly knocking Dean over.

“You best get outta here.” the man turned away.

“Wait, you didn’t answer the question. What’s happening here?” Sam asked forcefully.

“Horrible things. Good people suddenly turnin’. Seen nothing like it. It’s almost as if the Devil has brought hell to this cursed Earth.”

“Why the Devil?” Sam took a small step forward. The man whirled around to face them.

“You stupid, boy? What, ain’t the Devil evil enough for you? What else would explain all this?” he yelled angrily.

“Okay, okay, we’re gonna go--” Sam backed up, knocking a small display over. Dean and Cas also followed, as the three of them left the bookstore.   
“Dean, I’m not feeling great about this. We should go.” Sam said. Dean nodded in agreement. They all walked to the Impala quickly. The engine roared to life, interrupting the silence once more.

As they drove back towards the bunker, the town came to life. People left their homes, fights broke out. Soon, the fighting had escalated into a bloodbath. The girl draped in white remained motionless. But as an empty church’s bell rang twelve times, her eyes flew open. She threw off the curtain and stood up, the wound over her stomach invisible under a layer of pink skin.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's that! Feedback is cool. I don't mind. I hope I'm doing justice to the characters that I love so much, as well as a plot that hopefully comes across as effective. Also, was this chapter short? I always think I write a lot, but it doesn't take long to read. I do try to update daily, so maybe it doesn't really matter, who knows.  
> Annnnyyways, Chapter 7 is coming soon! The plot continues to thicken as we bring back an old favorite.


	7. Boy Melodrama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, someone's back! Who is it?

“So we have a sizable list of imminent issues.” Cas said on the drive back to the bunker. “Ignoring the obvious, there’s Crowley, Rowena, and the deal with Adele. And I need to see what’s going on in heaven.”

“Rowena could be anywhere, and I don’t want to send you to heaven. It’s too risky. Now, Crowley and the deal, I can handle.” Dean said, making eye contact with Cas in the rearview mirror.

“Dean, watch out!” Sam yelped. Dean swerved just in time, missing a road sign by inches. Dean cleared his throat as if nothing had happened. He looked at Cas again.

“So, what’s the deal with your grace?” he asked.

“I think… I think I’m fully healed. But something’s wrong-- I should be able to hear what’s going on in Heaven. But my connection has either been severed or shut off. Not to mention, it should have taken far longer for my wings to heal.” Cas said, looking worried. “That’s why I need to go and see what’s happening.”

“Hey, we can’t split up now. If you go, we all go.” Dean commanded.

“But we should probably deal with Adele first. The sooner we see Crowley and grab something of Rowena’s, the sooner we can cross those things off our list.” Sam added.

Cas’s jaw clenched, then he spoke. “I know you don’t want to go up there. Especially you, Sam, after the last time.” Dean looked confused at that. “But this is important to me, and you seem to be forgetting that our only real hope lies in the angels, as some of them have faced this.” Cas sounded frustrated. Sam nodded understandingly, but one of the phrases from Cas’s words stuck out to Dean, and he couldn’t quite let it go.

“What do you mean ‘after the last time’? I thought you two just talked to Hannah. What else happened?”

“We, uh. We saw Bobby.” Sam confessed.

“And you never thought this might be something I’d want to know about?” Dean asked angrily.

“You were under the Mark, Dean! We all had to tread carefully around you!” Sam said defensively. Dean barked out a laugh.

“I was doing fine until you pushed me to the edge! I had it under control, but neither of you believed I could control--”

“That’s not true--”

“Enough!” Cas shouted. Sam and Dean immediately grew silent. “This isn’t the time for you two to get angry and add more problems. And we’re going to Heaven. Now. The fate of the planet is a bit more of a priority over a two week deadline with some witch.”

Silence. Then, “You’re right.” from Dean. Sam joined in with a quiet “Sorry, Cas.”

So, instead of driving to the bunker, Dean took the winding road to the entrance to Heaven. The cookie-cutter suburban neighborhoods sprawling along the sides of the wide road were juxtaposed by the irregular plants and asymmetrical imbalance caused by the damage. Brick walls were reduced to rubble in some spots, spilling out to the road. Dean carefully tried to avoid the jagged pieces of brick whenever he came across them.

 

When they reached the playground, they got out. Like the town, the place was too quiet. Eerily quiet. There was no one in sight-- no humans, no angels. Cas raised his head as if listening for something. He heard a snapping twig. He spun around, spotting an angel behind Sam and Dean. He drew his angel blade.

“Brother, we mean no harm. We need to see Hannah. I know something has gone wrong in heaven.” The angel smiled wryly.

“Castiel.” he said, “I’ve been expecting you. And the brothers. I’ve been given specific orders from Hannah to keep you all out of heaven. You’re not welcome as of now.”

“What happened?” Cas asked, concern all over his face.

“I’m shocked you even need to ask. Castiel, you happened. The Winchesters happened. You all caused this.” the angel said matter-of-factly. Cas looked down.

“Yeah, and you angels have been doing great things in Heaven, right? That’s why you’ve been too busy to give a damn about Earth until now?” Dean challenged.

“Earth and it’s inhabitants are not of my concern. But, I, and angels like myself, must try to protect it. Unfortunately, you three have started a chain reaction that has affected heaven as well.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked, looking less brave.

“No, I’ve humored you for long enough. If you do not leave, I will have to kill you.” He stepped towards Dean first. Dean pulled an angel blade out, and Sam made a move as well. Before either of them did anything, though, Cas placed his palm on the base of the angel’s head. A bright light radiated from the angel, and he fell to the ground, dead. Dean and Sam looked down at him, then looked at Cas in surprise. Cas ignored them, scanning the playground bars for something. He seemed to have found it, because when he pressed his palm to a spot on the monkey bars, the portal glowed white and opened up.

“Here it is.” Cas said. “After you.”

Sam jumped first, then Dean. When Cas joined them, they were standing, frozen. Hannah and her crew of angels were waiting for them. Cas stepped between Dean and Sam to face her.

“Hannah, what is all this? What’s going on?” Cas asked harshly.

Hannah smiled sadly. “I knew I’d see you here. Our conversation was interrupted, after all. Come. We’ll go on a walk.” She waved at the other angels, who left in different directions, through doors and hallways. She started walking. Cas, Dean, and Sam followed.

“You may have noticed that I only had one guard out, Castiel. That’s because I needed to get you in here without looking like I called you. Our brothers and sisters are not thrilled with you.” Hannah said earnestly.

“I’m not thrilled with them, either. But enough about that. Where are you taking us?”

“There’s someone I need you to meet.” Hannah said vaguely, leading through white marble hallways with plain white doors and golden knobs glinting in a row.

“Hannah, when you came earlier, why did you leave?”

“You’ll understand when you meet them. I can’t say much out here.” Hannah stopped at the last door in the hallway. Turning to Cas, she said, “Here. Everything will be explained. Well, as much as it can possibly be explained. I must go and check the other areas. She left quickly, leaving Cas with a door knob to turn and a decision to make.

“Are you going to…?” Sam asked. In response, Cas grabbed the door knob, took a deep breath, and opened the door. There was a grand wooden room, with a desk full of intricate carvings on the side facing them. At the desk sat a familiar face. A face that Cas, Dean, and Sam had thought was dead for a long time-- but apparently not.

“Cas. Dean. Sam. Nice of you all to come visit!” Gabriel grinned at them from behind this month’s Busty Asian Beauties. “We have a lot to catch up on. For starters, how are those croissant cookie hybrid things? Worth trying, or no?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a short chapter. It's probably because I'm a slow writer \\(^_^)/ Anyways, hope you're liking the story. I'm so psyched about the number of hits and kudoses this has gotten! Thank you so much!


	8. Death Doesn't Give A Shit About Bees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel's back, and the boys briefly play catch up. But what they learn isn't very reassuring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, and sorry this chapter is also brief. I've been drowning in finals and SAT's and other fun high school things. Summer's starting soon, though, which means more content :))))) Enjoy the chapter!

“I don’t understand. I thought you were dead!” Dean exclaimed, narrowing his eyes in confusion at the very much alive Gabriel.

“Helloooo,” Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “Trickster?” he pointed at himself, referencing a conversation they had many years ago. “Anyways, we’ve got a lot to catch up on. First of all, what the _HELL_ have you asshats done this time?!”

“It was an accident.” Dean mumbled. Gabriel glared at him.

“Gabriel, you’ve got to help us. Or tell us what we should do. Something.” Sam pleaded.

“Here’s the thing, boys. There’s nothing we can do. You two-- you three- are pretty much useless. This is major league, but we’re missing our star player.” Gabriel said matter-of-factly, pulling a lollipop out of a drawer and unwrapping it. “Lollipop?” he asked them. They all shook their head ‘no’. He closed the drawer and popped the lollipop into his mouth.

“But you’ve faced the darkness before. Can you at least tell us what to expect?” Cas said.

“Chaos. Anarchy. Primitive behavior. The Darkness touches everyone somehow. I’ve seen the some of the most powerful angels fall prey to it. It’s a nasty thing. It twists and corrupts minds, a thousand times stronger than hell, or purgatory. Unless we can find Dad, we’re all pretty much screwed.”

“So, what, we just sit on our asses and let it destroy us?” Sam asked angrily.

“Hate to break it to you, but yes.”

“Will you at least keep us updated?” Cas asked, looking worried.

“Sure, Cassie. But I called you three up here to talk about something else, too. Death.” Dean looked visibly uncomfortable. “Rest easy, Dean-o. You didn’t kill him. You can’t kill Death-- but you can repel him with his scythe, sorta like the angel banishing sigil. He’s a few galaxies away somewhere, probably stuffing his cheekbones with alien pizza. But Earth isn’t gonna be so easy. You’ve guaranteed that no human being will die, for a good, oh, maybe three months?”

“Three months?!”

“That scythe is powerful. He should have known better than to give it to you. No offense.”

“What about plants, can they die? Or bees?” Cas interjected. Dean turned to glare at him while Sam looked amused.

“Death doesn’t give a shit about bees. They have their own system.” Gabriel shrugged. “Now, you may not have anything to do to help with the Darkness, but you three have to stay sane and functional. Don’t make any more mistakes. We’ll keep in touch.” Gabriel snapped his fingers, and Dean, Sam, and Cas found themselves in the Impala again, with the playground behind them. Dean started the car, cursing under his breath.

“He can do that?” Sam asked Cas, who shrugged, looking bewildered.

“So. Back to the bunker, then.” Dean said.

“Back to the bunker.” Cas affirmed.

When they pulled up in front of the bunker, they were amazed by how normal it looked compared to the surrounding area.  

“Those Men of Letters sure knew how to build.” Dean said, gazing up at the bunker and then at the torn landscape around them.

 

Inside, they found themselves just as confused as they were before. There was nothing for them. No cases, no missions, nothing. Their normal had been torn into shreds and stamped on. They settled on the wooden chairs around the dining table.

“I still can’t believe that we can’t do anything to fix this.” Sam said, his forehead resting in his palms.

“There’s nothing we can do for the Darkness, but we still have Adele’s deal to hold up. And we need to find Rowena.” Dean reminded him. At that moment, they all sat up, terrified. What _had_ become of Rowena? What was she up to in the midst of all that had happened?

 

 


	9. Queens of Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rowena's back, and the boys try to steal something of hers from Hell to pay Adele.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summer is here! More updates on the way!

Rowena stood in front of a large stained glass window, gazing up at the sigils she painted with sheep’s blood.

“Try and find me now,” she muttered to herself as she admired her work. She had chosen well-- this abandoned winery in Southern California would be perfect for her needs. Ingredients, privacy, and distance from the Winchesters. What more could she ask for?

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the thick oak door. That could be only one person. Rowena turned from the window and opened the door, beaming.

“Ah, Adele. I was just beginning to wonder about you. Come in, dear.”

 

\---

 

“Should we summon Crowley or just barge in, uninvited?” Cas asked from the sofa, a book about deep sea creatures open in his lap. He was absentmindedly stroking the inky picture of the giant squid with his thumb as he looked up at Dean.

 “I don’t think Crowley wants to see us again. We’ll sneak in.” Dean decided. “I know a way in. We just have to see if Crowley blocked it or not.”

 “Where do we go?” Sam asked. Dean walked over to the desk and grabbed a few sheets of paper. He walked back, pen in hand, and kneeled at the coffee table. He retrieved a pen and drew a crude rectangle.

 “ Crowley stations his hellhounds here and here.” Dean marked the paper. “But there’s a small doorway here that is usually poorly guarded. I figure we can gank a few of his demons, sneak in, and stumble blindly until we find Rowena’s room.” Dean said confidently, grinning at Sam and Cas.

 “So it’s settled.” Sam said. “Let’s go to hell.”

 

\---

 

“Adele, how have you been? Have you talked to those Winchesters yet?” Rowena drawled, brushing away a wisp of curly black hair from Adele’s face. Adele rolled her eyes.

 “Rowena, they’re as pathetic as you made them out to be. They were practically sniveling for me to get that angel back to normal.”

 “And your price?”

 “Something of yours. I expect they’ll try to patch up with your son to get their currency.”

 “Not my son, dearie. Fergus was my son. But Crowley? He means nothing to me.”

“Yes, you have proven that. But I can’t help but wonder-- what’s next? For you? For us?” Adele took Rowena’s hands. Rowena’s eyes widened with excitement.

 “ _Power_ , “ she whispered excitedly. “I plucked the Book and the codex from  right under their noses.”

“ I want to see!” Adele said, looking around. Rowena pulled her to a dusty, dark room. She flicked on the light switch, revealing a library. The bookshelves covered the entire room. Rowena walked over to the opposite wall, curled her fingers around an olive green book, and pulled it down. Gears grinded within the wall, and the bookshelf sprung open to reveal a safe. Rowena turned to face Adele, who was gaping.

 “I chose this place well.” Rowena smiled. She turned to the safe, and rotated the combination. With a click, the door opened to reveal the codex and the Book. Adele stepped closer, admiring them. Then, she turned to Rowena, smirking as she put her arms around her neck.

“Together, we’ll take over this sorry planet.”

“That we will. Queens of the Darkness.” Rowena leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Adele’s forehead.

\---

The Impala was parked just outside one of the entrances to Hell.

 

“Should we park out here? In the open?” Sam asked Dean. Dean shrugged carelessly. They all got out of the car.

“It’s showtime.” Cas said, earning him confused looks from both Sam and Dean.

“What? I read it from somewhere.”

\---

They had managed to sneak inside without coming across any demons, which struck them as odd, but no reason to be alarmed. Dean saw a door that was left ajar, and he caught a glimpse of purple curtains. He looked at the others, then nodded at the room. They quietly moved towards it, and Dean pushed the door further open.  Rowena’s room was neatly kept, and the three of them circled like vultures to find anything that Adele might want.

 

“I think I found something.” Sam called from the ground. He was looking under Rowena’s bed. Reaching under, he fished out a book that was bound in rough brown fabric.

“A spellbook? Think Adele will accept that?” Dean asked, kneeling beside Sam. Sam opened the book.

“Looks good to me.”

“And I found her mortar and pestle.” Cas produced it, and peered inside to find a grayish powder clinging to the sides of the black stone mortar.

“Great, let’s go.” Sam said, standing up.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” Crowley’s voice came from behind them. They all turned to see Crowley glaring at them from the doorway, holding onto a leash. The sound of growling filled the room.

 

 


	10. Pie Doesn't Come In A Box Mix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have a showdown with Crowley while getting Adele's payment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I don't know how often I will update, because I've started watching Orange Is The New Black and I literally can not stop, so yeah there's that. But I will absolutely update every few days, so I won't be gone for good. :)

“I thought I made it clear that I never wanted to see you again.” Crowley said to Dean.

“Crowley, when will you get over the fact that I chose Cas?” Dean yelled angrily. The room was filled with a shocked silence. They all knew that something had been going on with Dean, but he had never been so direct about his slinkylike attraction towards others. Dean turned red immediately, while Crowley looked shell shocked. Cas’s mouth was slightly open as he clutched onto the pestle and mortar, spell book tucked under his arm, and Sam suddenly was reminded of a time in his childhood that related to the soap opera unfolding in front of him.

\---

Sam was eleven, and Dean was fifteen. They were in a shoddy shack of a family friend’s, waiting for John to return from a hunt. Dean sat in an ancient armchair that reeked of cigarette smoke and stale food, flipping through the cheap cable channels. Sam was draped over the matching sofa, lying over the flat decorative pillows and keeping an eye on the door. It was John’s birthday, and Dean had suggested that they surprise him. They spent all afternoon planning-- Dean would bake a cake (pie didn’t come in a box mix), and Sam would use their combined pile of money to buy John a present. The house smelled like yellow cake, and a newspaper-wrapped present was hiding under the sofa. The alarm on the oven brought Dean back to life, immediately jumping to his feet to take the cake out of the oven. After letting it cool, he carefully spread chocolate frosting all over the cake, finishing with artful icing letters. He stood back to admire his work. Sam came into the kitchen to look at the finished product.

 

“That looks so good. I hope Dad gets home soon.” he said, wistfully eyeing a glob of chocolate frosting that was threatening to slide of the side of the cake.

“He said he’ll be home tonight. Just wait for a bit, Sammy.”

So they waited, and settled in the living room. The Goonies was on, so they watched it as they waited. 9 PM. 10 PM. By 11, they were both on the sofa, snoring lightly. They were woken by an abrupt knock as John announced his return. The door’s lock clicked, and John came inside, bloody and exhausted. Neither Dean nor Sam knew what to do. Was this the right time to start the celebration? Sam spoke first.

 

“Hey, Dad. Did you kill it?”

John stared at Sam, then dropped his bag of weapons to the floor, angry. “No. Fucking demon got away. Guess my devil’s trap was complete shit.” He went to his room and closed the door.

“Should we-- are we--” Sam began to ask.

“We can’t put the cake in the fridge, it doesn’t work. Besides, his birthday is almost over. Give him a few minutes.”

 

A bit later, John re-emerged in clean, blood-free clothes. He had a few new scars, but Dean was eager to present the cake and the gift, unintentionally ignoring John’s persisting sour mood.

“Get me a whiskey, will you, Dean?”

Dean obeyed, going to the kitchen. He returned with the drink and the bottle, and said “One second, I have something for you.” He went back in, and carefully lifted the glass tray holding the cake. He returned, and stood in front of John as Sammy reached under the sofa for the gift.

“Happy Birthday, Dad.” Dean smiled, holding the cake proudly as Sam held out the wrapped gift. John stared at them hollowly. His glass was already empty, and the bottle was open, filling the room with its strong scent.

“The hell is that? Dean, did you bake that?”

“Well, I used a Betty Crocker mix I found in the pantry. But yes, sir, I made this.”

“Don’t you know that boys don’t bake? What are you, a pansy?” John shouted. Dean stood, his smile faltering as he willed himself with every fiber of his being to not cry. The gift was held in Sam’s limp arms as he watched this exchange helplessly. Dean looked down.

 

John took a deep breath and sighed, putting his glass down.

“I’m sorry,” he said, not sounding apologetic at all. “ but you ain’t supposed to be baking and cooking. You should have just bought a cake.”

Dean glowered at John, then slammed the tray onto the coffee table. The tray didn’t break, but the cake crookedly slid to the side, raining crumbs onto the table.

“No, I shouldn’t have. Because you wouldn’t have appreciated it either way.”

Dean paid for that. John stood up, sloshing whiskey onto the floor as his hand came whizzing towards Dean’s face. The impact left Dean staggering backwards, clutching his red cheek.

“I never want to hear you use that tone of voice with me again. You hear?”

There was a long pause as Dean refused to make eye contact with John. Then, he raised his eyes to meet his father’s, removing his hand from his cheek and standing with perfect posture like any good soldier would.

“Yes, sir.”

\---

Crowley’s voice brought Sam back to the present. It wasn’t filled with rage, or power. No, Crowley looked at Dean, then looked at Cas as he said quietly, “But, of course, I knew that would happen. The man who was afraid of flying and the angel who was afraid of falling. A match made in heaven and hell.” Nobody knew what to say. Crowley cleared his throat and seemed to wave the thought away.

“But you still haven’t explained why you’re here.” He raised his arm that was holding the leash. “Spill, or I’ll sic her on you.”

“We need something of Rowena’s. For a deal.” Sam said.

“Rowena? Why is _she_ so damn valuable? Am I not worthy of being robbed?”

“It was a deal with some witch. Her name’s Adele.” Dean answered.

“Never heard of her. Well, if you were going to exploit our apparently meaningless relationship, you should have at least called. I would have prepared something. Tea with a hint of cyanide, biscuits sprinkled with rat poison…” he trailed off, smirking slightly.

“Listen, Crowley, we don’t want any trouble. We just wanted to slip in and slip out.” Sam said, attempting to sooth Crowley. The hellhound’s huffing returned to low growling.

“You may not want trouble, Moose. But I do. You three have caused me enough grief as it is. So, I'm done with being your bitch." The growling turned into loud barks, and Crowley let go of the leash. A chair was knocked over as the barking grew louder and closer, and Dean, Sam, and Cas all jumped onto the bed to gain leverage. They were slashing into the air as the invisible hound filled the room. When the mattress suddenly felt heavier, Sam slashed at the edge with Ruby's knife, and a burst of fiery orange light radiated from the spot where the knife met the hound. With a thud, the hound hit the floor. Crowley looked at the dog, and then looked up at the three unwelcome guests.

"I see how it's going to be." He said, falsely calm. He edged closer to them. "But if you're going to take something of Rowena's..." He suddenly reached at Cas, jerking his necktie downwards. Cas fell to the ground, wincing as he lay on his back. The spell book fell out of his hands, and Crowley kneeled next to him, thrusting his hand into the trench coat pocket. He retrieved the mortar and pestle, shoving them on top of the book.

"You can't take this, because I want to watch it be reduced into ashes and sand. So you can take anything else. Just not this." He grinned up at Sam and Dean smugly, one hand still clinging onto Cas's tie. "Or, we can all find out if angels can die of asphyxiation."

He looked down at Cas, sneering. Suddenly, Cas grabbed the mortar and slammed it against Crowley's temple. Crowley fell over, unconscious, as Cas reached for the pestle and book and stood up. He looked up at Dean and Sam, who were still standing on the bed, frozen in poses of intended aggression.

"Let's go." Cas said, turning and walking out of the door.

\---

“Should we just call her?” Sam asked, staring at the business card with puzzlement. He was tilting it side-to-side, admiring the silver card.

“Seems like she wanted us to.” Dean answered.

The three of them were back in the abandoned warehouse where they had last met Adele. The impact of the Darkness had only made the mess worse, with rubble and chunks of concrete scattered across the floor. Dean dug into his pocket and fished out his phone. He punched in the digits. Pressing his phone to his ear, he paced as he waited for her to pick up. After a few seconds, he looked back at his phone in confusion.

“No service. Sammy, you still got that summoning spell?”

Minutes later, Adele was standing before them.

“My payment?” she asked, holding out her hand.

“Not so fast.” Dean answered. “What are you going to do with the stuff we give you?”

Adele looked impatient. “Hang it on my wall. Use it as decoration. They’re trophies, boys. Witches can’t use other witches’ belongings. It’s impossible, not to mention invasive.”

Dean considered this, then handed a bag of the items to her. She opened the bag and looked inside.

“You got her spell book? Her mortar and pestle? Oh, you shouldn’t have.” She said with a grin. “You certainly did deliver. Pleasure doing business with you. Do keep in touch.” She shook their hands and vanished.

\---

“What did those boys snatch from me?” was the first thing Rowena asked upon Adele’s return. She was painting her nails scarlet, using careful strokes to distribute the color.

“Your book and your mortar and pestle. They seemed to question it, but I told them that witches could only use their own items, and they believed me.” Adele replied with glee. Rowena clapped her hands together and let out a laugh.

“I like the poetry behind it. Kill your enemies with the tools they provide.” Rowena said. She twisted the lid onto the bottle and examined her hands. Then, the turned to look into Adele’s eyes. She was smiling, but determination and hatred flashed behind her green eyes as she spoke. “I have every single thing I need to rule this world. And the first thing I’m going to do is kill the Winchesters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was way longer than my other ones! Progress is being made!
> 
> B T dubs, comments are appreciated! Concerns and critiques are also welcome. I'll make the next chapter more Destiel-y, I feel like it's been a while since I've done that in this fic. (aha, but it's an accurate portrayal of the show: HELLA DESTIEL one week, and then a dry spell of Destiel. urghhhhhhh)


	11. Deja vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the Winchesters go out and find themselves in the midst of an apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey! Still watching OITNB. Still neglecting things. Still gonna write this mofo. Thanks for reading. :)

As the week wore on, the bunker’s supply of food dwindled. The world was eerily quiet, and with the destroyed electrical poles and service towers, there was no reception or signals whizzing through the air. Sam was most affected by this, as his precious laptop was rendered useless. The Darkness lived up to it’s name-- it was autumn, and the days were growing shorter as the night grew longer and colder. Although there were no electrical lines, the bunker had an emergency generator that Dean had tinkered with. If they were wise and conserved energy, they would be able to use the generator’s power for a week. On a Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday morning-- none of them knew anymore-- they ran out of food. So, after weighing all of their options, and wanting to fight until death as the Winchesters do, Sam, Dean, and Cas climbed into the Impala.

 

It had been a while since they left the bunker, and the world had greatly changed in that time. It had somehow managed to look more ragged. Not fragile, but resilient. Nature was reclaiming its land, with abandoned cars becoming weathered and plants climbing up the brick buildings. The first sign of human life came when the Impala rolled into a nearby city. The road ahead had been blocked by crudely stacked furniture. Mattresses, chairs, even tables were piled on top of one another in an effort to prevent entry. The Impala halted,and Dean turned off the engine. Wordlessly, they all silently agreed to out of the car and investigate.

 

“Do you smell that?” Cas said under his breath. Sam and Dean lifted their heads to sniff the air. It smelled like a campfire. “I think it’s this way.” They followed Cas as he started to move towards the smell. They all stopped in front of a chain link fence. Gashes of broken links ran along the fence, and knotted with rope to close them again. Dean pulled out his knife, dropped it, turned around to pick it up, then stopped, looking stunned.

 

“What is it?” Sam asked, concerned. Dean stared at the brick wall in front of him. Sam and Cas turned to see what he was looking at. In something that looked suspiciously like blood, the word “CROATOAN” was painted onto the wall.

\---

“I just need to meet them somehow. They surely won’t take to me just showing up. And, besides, I have no idea where they actually live.” Rowena mused, stroking her open spellbook as she spoke. Adele slumped across her, nodding slowly. Then, she sat up excitedly.

“What if I ask them to meet me? I’ll lure them in and you set the trap.”

“But they finished the deal. There’s no reason for you to contact them, or they’ll know something’s suspicious.”

“I could tell them that I think I know where you’re hiding. They’ll drop everything to get their revenge.”

“That could work. We need to make sure they’ll take the bait, though.”

“I’ll handle it.” Adele smiled. Rowena looked up at her, raising her eyebrows questioningly. Then, she laughed.

“Oh, to think you were once a sweet, innocent lass that I resented. Where would I be if I had never met you?” Rowena extended a hand across the table. Adele reached to hold it. “Hell.” she joked.

\---

“We have to get in there.” Dean said, clenching his jaw. Before anyone could say anything, he lodged one of his feet into a link and swung his other leg over the fence. He dropped to the ground with a light thud. “You coming?” he asked them.

 

When they had all crossed, they continued to follow the scent.

 

“Just what do you think you’re doing here?” a voice asked angrily. The three of them turned around to face a small gang of men and women, all wielding large guns.

“We need food, we were just--” Sam stuttered, but he was interrupted by the largest man, who pointed his gun at Sam’s neck.

“We know how to kill you croats now. Just a bullet in the brain, that’s all it takes.” the man smugly said.

“We’re not croats. We’re from Lawrence.” Dean snarled. The men laughed.

“That don’t mean you ain’t infected, boy. Anyways, if I talk for too long, you’ll still be alive.” the man dramatically wrapped his pointer finger around the trigger. Before he could do anything, Cas stepped forward and touched his forehead, and with a brilliant flash of light, he dropped to the ground, unconscious. The others stepped back, looking at Cas in bewilderment.

“We said we’re not Croatoans. Now, tell us what the hell is going on.”

\---

They were in an abandoned bar, pulling old wooden chairs to form a cluster. One man, who introduced himself as Jason, told Sam, Dean, and Cas of all that had happened. The man who almost killed Sam was still unconscious, lying on a table to the side.

 

“It started a few weeks ago. It was so sudden-- I thought it was a tornado. It went all dark, and--”

“We know this part, skip to the beginning of the Croatoan thing.” Dean interrupted impatiently.

“I don’t think anyone really knows how that started. Maybe a week after the storm or whatever the hell that was, I got a knock on my door at 2 in the morning. I open it up, and there’s some kid foaming at the mouth and asking me to help him. I’m a doctor, and I know my duty is to save people, but this kid…” he shook his head, eyes closed. “I knew he was a dead man from the moment I saw him. Something was off about his eyes. Couldn’t tell you what, though, ‘cause he was squinting like he had been looking at the sun. It’s a damn shame.” he said, bowing his head.

“This kid, did he seem violet in any way?”

“No, just weak. From a glance, it looked like he had rabies, but he wasn’t rabid. There was something odd, though. He kept swatting around his head and muttering.” Jason recalled. A loud groan escaped from the corner. They all turned to see that the man had awoken. He got off of the table, wincing.

“Aaron, you need to stay on that table. You’re not well rested.” Jason warned him.

“To hell with that. I’ll live. Now, here’s the million dollar question,” he turned to Cas, “what the hell are you?

“I’m--” Cas started, but Dean interrupted with “-- not to be messed with.” Dean crossed his arms and glared at the men. Cas looked at Dean, eyebrow raised. Dean pouted in confusion. Cas shook his head and started again. “I’m an angel.”

 

Dean and Sam looked at each other. As they shared a look of despair, the bar erupted into various reactions. A chorus of voices rose, as some phrases like “snarky bastard”, “is this a joke?” and “I still think he’s a Croat” were distinct among the outcries.

“Shut up!” Cas’s voice rang out, and the room fell silent. “The only reason why we’re here is because we need food. Whether you believe me or not, don’t forget that I can drop you just like I did Aaron over there.”

 

Silence. Then, Jason stood up and gestured to the door. “Come with me.” he said.

\---

The camp was downright pitiful. There were tents all over the streets of the urban sprawl, looking out of place among the tall buildings. The people all looked worn and tired.

 

“This is almost identical to what Zachariah showed me.” Dean said under his breath. Sam and Cas looked at him as he continued. “Croatoans, sucky campsites, all of it. Course, a few things are different, but it’s eerie. Do you think the Darkness or whatever did this?”

Cas stared ahead as he said “Demonic plagues? I’m sure of it.”

“But demons are post-Darkness, right?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucifer brought it back after the Darkness’s reign ended. He was always fascinated with danger, even before he fell.” They almost bumped into Jason, who had stopped to turn and look at them.

“I don’t mean to be an eavesdropper, but Lucifer? Demons? Either you’re all crazy or you really are angels.”

“He’s the only angel.” Dean said quickly, earning a short huff of laughter from Sam.

“Angel?” they turned to face a woman who was staring at Cas in a way that made Dean feel a rush of emotion. It was a foreign feeling, but he was pretty sure it was jealousy. The feeling escalated quickly when she rushed up to Cas and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was smiling brilliantly.

“I’m sorry, who--” Cas started, looking very red and very uncomfortable. He didn’t finish, because the woman cut him off excitedly. “I have been praying for help. And you’re finally here. You’re here to answer my prayers.”

“Lady, he’s not some wishing well, you can’t just--” Dean began, but Sam put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“What do you pray for?” Cas asked her. She looked at him, tears still in her eyes. “Hope.” she whispered.

\---

Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jason were sitting on the ground, the remnants of a carefully portioned meal in front of each of them. It wasn't bad, but every bite tasted like desperation and stale molecules. Sam and Dean made eye contact, evidently deciding something. Dean nodded at Sam, who cleared his throat and smiled at Jason. 

“It’s not that we don’t appreciate the meal, but, uh, where can we find food to take home with us?” Sam said politely.

Jason sighed deeply, then stared at him. “You’re not going home.”


	12. Burnt marshmallows and Wounded Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Jason tells Dean, Sam, and Cas that they can't leave, Dean is faced with a decision. Also Destiely things happen. I suck at summaries!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!

Dean stood up quickly, knocking over a glass of water. the water spilled, seeping into the ground as Dean looked down at Jason.

“What do you mean, we’re not going home? No offense, but who the hell are you to decide?”

Jason looked at him calmly. “Dean, the world is screwed. You three seem to know a few things outside of the realm of normalcy, though, so you’re an asset. To this town, and to to the world.”

“What, you don’t think we’ve looked everywhere for a solution? There isn’t one!” Dean shouted.

“What he means to say is that we’re looking. But this thing predates God, and it seems pretty impossible to fight something like that.” Sam said quietly.

“You’re an angel, right?” Jason said to Cas. “Don’t you know anything about this?”

“Oh sure, because the angels were around before God.” Jason didn’t react to his sarcasm, so Cas tried again. “I have minimal knowledge. This was taught to me as a bedtime story, not a historical lesson.” Cas fixed his tie in frustration.

“Doesn’t matter. From all that you told me, you three have a pretty good track record. I’m not letting you leave.” Jason stood up, and Sam and Cas followed. “Please.” Jason turned to Dean, sticking his hand out. Dean looked at his hand, considering it, then reached for it and shook it.

“Fine. But don’t even think for a second that you of any one of your people can tell us what we should or shouldn’t do. This is our turf now.” There was a tense silence as Jason and Dean glared at each other, neither of them breaking eye contact.

“Alright, Alpha dog, let’s check out our new home.” Cas joked awkwardly, clapping Dean on the shoulder. Dean turned to look at him.

“Yeah, alright.”

\---

Jason introduced them to Danielle (“Please, call me Danny.”, she said upon meeting them). Danny was a tall, graceful woman, with dark hair and secretary glasses. She had a large tattoo of roses on her bicep. Danny took them on a detailed tour of the camp. Finally, they ended at the supply shed.

“I think we have a few spare supplies for you three.” She went inside, and came out with two sleeping bags in her left hand, a bulky bag in her right, and a tent in a bag that was slung across her back. She dropped them all in front of them.

“Tent, supplies, blankets, sleeping bags. I’m sorry, I could only find two bags, but there are extra blankets.”

“No problem” Sam said, while Dean mumbled “We’ll share somehow.”

“Alright, then. If any of you need anything, my tent’s right across from you.” She showed them, then left, leaving the three of them considering the pile of supplies at their feet.

“Well, I don’t require sleep, so you two can have the sleeping bags.” Cas said. “I can watch over you.”

“If you, um, need to lie down or something, just wake me up. We can switch.” Dean said awkwardly. Cas looked crestfallen.

“Oh, uh, thanks, Dean.”

“Okay, let’s set up this tent.” Sam interrupted.

An hour later, after arguments and misplaced parts, the tent was set up. The two sleeping bags were unrolled inside, and blankets were haphazardly thrown over them. the bulky bag was full of things-- granola bars, small knives tucked away in leather pouches, water bottles, anything they needed for life in a tent. Dean took out a few granola bars, tossing one to Sam and one to Cas. He closed the bag and carelessly tossed it to the side. He leaned back into the pile of blankets as he unwrapped his granola bar.

“So, this is our life for who knows how long.”

“Looks like it.” Sam said, sighing.

Cas chewed on his granola bar thoughtfully. “Still tastes like molecules.” he said, somewhat sadly.

\---

Somehow, they had all drifted into drowsiness. Suddenly, Danny’s voice rang out from outside the tent. “Dinner in the main square. I hear there’s red meat.” Dean jerked awake to see Sam rubbing his eyes and Cas looking confused and rumpled. They slogged outside. The summer evening was still warm and bright. More people were walking out of their tents and following the stream of people towards the square.

As a brunette pushed past them, Dean eyed her, eyebrows raised and lips pouting slightly. Cas noticed, and when Dean looked at him, he was met with glaring blue eyes, squinting at him in disgust.

“Really, Dean? Leering at random girls? You’ve been knocked down a few pegs, have you?”

“What? I can’t check out some hot Kansas girls?” Dean asked. Cas scoffed and turned to gaze the other way. Sam shook his head, thinking to himself.

\---

After dinner, Danny set up a campfire. Most people went back to their tents, but a considerable crowd of people stayed to roast stale marshmallows that she had found in the supply shed. There was a large circle of over thirty people, all with green sticks clutched in their hands, burnt marshmallows sizzling in the warm summer air. Dean was showing Cas how to properly roast a marshmallow.

“You want it to be slightly burnt. That way, it’ll be gooey and perfect.” Dean reached over, placing his hand over Cas’s (which were clamped onto the stick) and guided his arms. “There, now your stick is close enough.”

“I don’t want it to taste burnt, though.”

“Probably will taste better, though.” Cas looked thoughtful, then reached and plucked his marshmallow.

“That’s not done, you know--” Dean started, but Cas covered the marshmallow with his palm, allowing his grace to burn through it. When he uncovered his palm, the marshmallow was soft and sticky, and it stuck to his hand.

Sam looked amused. “After missing your grace for so long, this is what you use it for, huh?”

Cas shrugged carelessly. “I just wanted to see if it would work.” He plopped the entire marshmallow into his mouth. Some of it oozed out of the corner of his mouth. Dean stared.

“You’ve got a little something right there.” Dean reached to wipe it, but Cas sat up all of a sudden.

“I’ve got it, thanks.” His tongue darted sideways and cleared it, and he glared at the fire. Dean turned to Sam and mouthed, _What’s up with him?_ Sam shook his head and frowned.

Across the campfire, Danny was animatedly telling a story to the brunette girl from earlier.  Dean was watching them passively, but his disinterest turned into surprise when the brunette girl leaned forward and kissed Danny. He quickly felt as if he were intruding, so he turned his head to see Cas watching him.

“What?” Dean asked, feeling defensive.

“Nothing.”

“ _What._ ” Dean knew something was up by the way Cas avoided eye contact.

“It’s just...” Cas stood up all of a sudden, and he walked away from the fire. Dean stood up and followed him. When they were far enough to not be overheard, Cas continued. “Do you even remember that night?”

“When I was, uh--”

“Intoxicated. Drunk out of your mind, yeah.”

“Vaguely. I remember you were there when I woke up… I remember not talking about that.” Dean said to the dirt.

“You told me you think I’m beautiful. And then you asked me to stay, which was my intention all along.”

Dean exhaled sharply and ran his fingers through his hair. Cas’s eyes followed, noticing how the strands of hair popped back after Dean’s fingers had flattened them.

“Cas. I-- I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m feeling, I’m scared of losing you, and ruining our friendship, especially because I seem to be good at doing that.”

“Dean, enough with the self-deprecating pity party. If I were concerned for my safety around you, I would have left a long time ago.” Cas said angrily. Dean looked up at this, his eyes shining and reflective. Cas could almost see the constellations in Dean’s eyes.

“Cas…” he said, pleadingly, desperately, painfully. “I can’t risk losing you.” Internally, Cas crumbled. But he was surprised to hear his own hardened voice in response.

“I will be your greatest ally. Your closest friend. But I will no longer wait for you to come around. It seems to me that you’ve made your feelings clear.” With that, Cas turned to the tents, his coat flaring around his legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow burn Destiel, just how we like it! Or, just how we're used to!


End file.
